The Chaser
by Ladybug the 3rd
Summary: Rated for language, and some blood. Strange new people, the reason why Guinan never seems to age, and a new and very deadly enemy. What will happen, and how will the Enterprise survive this time! Please read and review. First story. FINALY UPDATED!
1. Chapter one

The Chaser  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek, I just buy the movies and watch the show.  
  
AN: I would like to give thanks to Lenorathetrekkie for helping me with my story. Oh yeah, go and read her stuff too. This is my first story. I hope you like it.

* * *

Chapter one  
  
Honestly, I have never really wanted this job. Saving the universe. Over and over again. It gets really tiring after a while. But then again, I never really had the chance to say no, I don't want this job. Never had the chance to say goodbye to my family and friends. Even if I could have said goodbye, I probably wouldn't have done it.  
  
I know that sounds pretty mean. I mean, who wouldn't want to see their friends and family one last time? If I was still normal, I would have. Now, I am anything but normal. From afar I have seen many of my childhood friends die of old age. I have seen generations upon generations of people being born and dying. For that is the price that you pay when you become immortal. Everyone that you care about eventually dies. Well, everyone except for...  
  
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!  
  
A huge convulsion shook my body as I was awoken from my nap. I shook my head, trying to get my mind to focus on the sound. Groggily, I stood up and made my way over to the control panel in my little space ship. By the time I had reached the panel, I had already figured out what the sound meant: I was being hailed.  
  
My fingers flowed across the panel like water as I quickly pulled up information on the ship.  
  
"USS Enterprise, Galaxy class starship, Federation," my computer informed me in its monotone voice.  
  
I froze. Enterprise. Enterprise. The name kept ringing in my head. I silently prayed to whatever God would listen for my safety, for the stories that I have heard of that ship were horrible. Besides, my ship wouldn't stand a chance if a fight broke out. Numbly, I pushed the button to communicate with the infamous ship and her infamous captain: Jean-Luc Picard. The screen in front of me lit up, and I soon saw the captain and his crew staring at me.  
  
"I am Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the USS Enterprise. May I ask as to why your vessel is stationed so close to the neutral zone?"  
  
"...I'm afraid I can't answer that, Captain."  
  
He looked at me in an I-know-you're-doing-something-wrong-so-you- might-as-well-confess look. I kept eye contact with him for about ten seconds, and then I let my eyes wander around the rest of the screen. The rest of the crew didn't impress me much, so I again directed my gaze at the captain.  
  
I opened my mouth to speak, but another beeping came from my panel and I knew it was time.  
  
"I'd love to stay and chat, Captain, but I have other important business to attend to. Goodbye." I quickly closed all communication to the huge star ship. "Didn't really care for our little chat, either."

* * *

A slightly bewildered Picard turned back to his crew. Will was deep in thought about what had just happened, Deanna seemed confused, Worf was angry (as usual), Data's face held no emotion (like that's a big surprise), Geordi was concentrating on a panel about engineering, and Wesley was too shocked to do much of anything but stare.  
  
Picard turned to Troy. "...well? What do you think?"  
  
"..She's hiding something. And yet..."  
  
Will looked over to Deanna. "Yet what?"  
  
"...I felt, this may sound crazy, but I felt great power in her. Ancient power."  
  
Picard opened his mouth to speak, but Worf shouted, "Captain!"  
  
Alarmed, he turned towards the screen and saw that the small ship had moved into the neutral zone.  
  
"RED ALERT! SHIELDS UP!" Jean-Luc sighed. "The Romulans aren't going to like this."  
  
"Captain," Data's calm voice said. "Something has been launched out of the ship."  
  
Picard turned his attention back to the screen and saw something had indeed been launched. "Magnify," he ordered. Wesley zoomed in on the object as ordered, and upon seeing what it was, everyone gasped.  
  
"It...that...her...that's... impossible!" sputtered Deanna.  
  
Picard could only nod his head, for what he was seeing was very...odd. It was the girl that he had been talking to earlier, only she was in space WITH NO SPACESUIT! AND SHE WAS ALIVE! She was just floating, in space. Her long, black hair floated freely, along with the dark-green trench coat that she was wearing. In one of her hands she was holding a very long staff, and it was pointing directly into the neutral zone.  
  
"...Captain..." Data called. "Something has been launched on the other side of the neutral zone."  
  
"Geordi, what is it?" Picard ordered.  
  
Geordi's fingers flew across the panel he was at as he scanned the new object. "Sir it's...human?"  
  
"Are you certain?"  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
Everyone in the bridge had their gaze fixed upon the strange girl in space. Picard was about to order her to be beamed aboard his ship, when a strange light left her staff and went straight to the other side of the neutral zone.  
  
"...sir, she has locked onto the other human," Worf said.  
  
The girl then drew her staff back, and the person at the other end of the light trail came flying at her. Her small ship positioned itself right behind the girl, and when the other person reached her, they both went inside the ship.  
  
"Geordi, tractor beam, now!" Picard ordered. Geordi quickly activated the tractor beam and was able to lock onto the small ship before it was able to get away.  
  
"Ship is secure, captain," Geordi said.  
  
"Good. Wesley, take us out of here," Picard ordered.  
  
"Yes sir," replied Wesley. He entered in a course and took them into the opposite direction of the neutral zone at warp 5.  
  
"Worf, Riker, Data, you're with me. Let's go see who our new guest is."

* * *

AN: Well, that's it for now. Please review. I'll only update if I get reviews. Bye bye. 


	2. Chapter two

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek, although it would be very nice if I did.  
  
AN: Ok everyone, the first chapter is edited. Thanks to all of you who pointed out my mistakes. As I said, this is my first story, and I really appreciate all of the reviews.  
  
Enjoy the next chapter!

* * *

Chapter two  
  
"SHIT!" shouted the female passenger onboard a small ship that was currently inside Enterprises docking bay. "Why couldn't they just leave us alone?"  
  
A moan was heard near the back of the small shuttlecraft, and she turned her complete attention to the man she had just saved. She hurried over to him.  
  
He opened his eyes. "Uh...oh...gah...An...Anja?"  
  
"I'm here," she replied as she took one of his blood stained hands into hers. "Don't move, you're pretty badly hurt."  
  
He grunted. "Tell me something I don't know."  
  
"Ok. We've just been dragged onboard the starship Enterprise."  
  
"WHAT!"  
  
"I'm sorry Demitri." Anja averted her eyes from Demitri's. "I just wanted..."  
  
"...wanted what?" he questioned.  
  
"...wanted you to be safe. I was worried..."  
  
Demitri smiled. One of his hands reached up and he slowly ran one of his fingers along the scar on the left side of her face. He left a trail of blood along the scar. She reached up and held his hand against her face.  
  
Demitri's voice was barely above a whisper. "...I missed you too, love."  
  
A tear left one of Anja's green eyes. "Demitri..."  
  
But before either of them could indulge their hormones any further, a loud banging was heard on the outer door of the shuttlecraft.  
  
"Shit," they both cursed.  
  
"I'll take care of it," Anja said. She walked away from Demitri and picked up her staff. "Aperiuentur!" A bright light engulfed Anja, and after the light died down, she was gone.  
  
Demitri was rubbing his eyes. "Man, I hate it when she does that."

* * *

"Captain, I don't believe that any of our attempts to gain entrance into the shuttlecraft have been successful," Data inquired.  
  
"Yes Data, I can see that," Picard said in a slightly annoyed voice.  
  
"Sir, might I suggest..." Worf started, but before he could finish, a bright light engulfed the entire shuttle bay. Everyone shielded their eyes, and when the light finally disappeared, the girl they had seen earlier confronted the small group.  
  
"What are you doing to my ship!" the girl yelled. She was holding her staff in front of her and she looked like she was going to attack the small raiding party.  
  
"Young lady, do you have any idea of what you have just done?! You have entered the neutral zone, and according to Starfleet regulations, you are under arrest," Picard informed the girl.  
  
"You don't know who I am, do you?"  
  
"Should I?"  
  
"Well, maybe if you actually talked to Guinan you would know who I am. She is aboard this ship, is she not?"  
  
Picard was taken aback. 'How can she know about Guinan?' Still baffled, he nodded his head. "Yes, she is aboard my ship."  
  
"Go and talk to her. Tell her that Anja and Demitri have arrived. Aperiuentur!" Again the white light engulfed the shuttle bay, and when it died down, the girl known as Anja was gone.  
  
"Do you believe what she said?" Riker questioned Picard after a few seconds had passed.  
  
"Perhaps Guinan could enlighten all of us," Picard said.  
  
"If she is indeed speaking the truth," piped in Worf.  
  
Picard, Riker, Worf, and Data turned around and left the shuttle bay.

* * *

AN: The plot thickens. Well, what did you think? Review please! 


	3. Chapter three

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek. If I did, then I would be very rich and would be making movies of my own.  
  
Lenorathetrekkie gives it 5 alien thumbs up!  
  
AN: for the record, THIS IS NOT A MARY SUE! And for punishment for thinking that it was (if you did) you will spend the rest of the day in an atomic wedgie. Have a nice day.

* * *

FLASH! "AH!" Demitri yelled as Anja teleported into the shuttle. Still rubbing his eyes, he said, "Couldn't you have used the door?! You know I don't like it when you teleport."  
  
Anja chuckled. "But it's more fun doing it this way." She let go of her staff, and it fell to the floor with a small thump. The smile which she had only a moment ago was replaced with concern. Anja quickly hurried over to a cabinet and pulled out a bunch of bandages. After getting the bandages, she went over to Demitri.  
  
Sitting down next to him, Anja began to wrap his badly mangled body in the bandages. Soon the white cloth turned red as it was wrapped around the wounds. Over, under, over, under. Tie it off with a knot. Over, under, over, under. Tie it off. Demitri never took his gaze off of Anja while she worked. Over, under, over, under. She tied the knot too tight, and he gasped in pain.  
  
She quickly pulled her hands away in surprise. "Sorry!"  
  
It took Demitri a few seconds to compose himself after the shock. "Its, its ok. Not your fault."  
  
She began working again. Over, under, over, under. Then, finally, the last bandage was in place.  
  
"Done." Anja sat back and gave Demitri some room.  
  
Demitri slowly sat up. He looked down at his muscular body, now covered with blood-stained bandages, and then gave out a long sigh.  
  
"What?" Anja questioned.  
  
He looked up and beckoned her to sit next to him. She scooted on over to him. Demitri reached over and took one of Anja's hands, and their fingers intertwined. With his other hand, he slowly turned Anja's face towards his. He leaned down till his lips were about a centimeter away from hers.  
  
No words passed between the couple as they stared into each others eyes. Both were content with the fact that the other was safe. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he closed the gap between them and they kissed.

* * *

It was very dark and lonely in Ten-forward as Picard, Worf, Data, and Riker walked in. Guinan was behind the counter, cleaning a glass. The three men and the android walked over to her and took a seat.  
  
"Guinan..." began Picard.  
  
"Let me guess," said Guinan. "It's about Anja and Demitri."  
  
"Yes," Picard said.  
  
"How did you know?" questioned Riker.  
  
Guinan looked at them with one of her It's-a-very-interesting-story looks. "I knew because I could sense them."  
  
"What exactly do you mean?" an intrigued Data asked.  
  
"It's a very long story. Are you sure you want to hear it?"  
  
They nodded their heads.  
  
Guinan shrugged. "All right. Let's see, where should I begin..." She closed her eyes to concentrate. "...long before my people were scattered to the wind by the Borg, our best scientists had created an object so strong, so powerful, that it stopped people from aging. It was pure energy, encased in a large round jewel. We called it The Orb."  
  
"So this orb gave your people immortality?" Picard questioned.  
  
"Yes," replied Guinan. "For most people, they only stay immortal as long as they have a part of The Orb with them. But, my people were around The Orb for so long we stay immortal even though we don't carry a piece with us."  
  
"Very interesting," Data said.  
  
Guinan nodded, and her face saddened. "And then the Borg came, and with our planets destruction, The Orb shattered into millions of tiny pieces and was scattered across the Galaxy. Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, The Orb cannot truly be destroyed, only shattered into many pieces."  
  
She replaced the glass she was cleaning onto the counter. "You're still wondering how Anja and Demitri are involved, am I right?"  
  
Again, Picard, Worf, Riker, and Data nodded their heads.  
  
"Now, two of the shattered pieces managed to get to Earth around the year 2000, or so I was told. The two shards managed to find their way into the hands of two young lovers. Their names: Anja Starling and Demitri Warsong. Somehow, during their first couple of hundred years, the shards had become imbedded into their bodies. Those two never did tell me how that one happened." She gave a little laugh.  
  
"What's so funny?" Riker questioned.  
  
"It's just that, those two have been fighting for the past one hundred and fifty years, I just find it odd that they're working together now. Anyway, I eventually found them and they agreed to find the pieces of the shards for my people. I think now they have collected over half of them."  
  
Picard stood up. "Thank you Guinan."  
  
"Your welcome"  
  
"I'm afraid we must get going. Goodbye." Worf, Data, and Riker stood up and left with Picard.

* * *

Anja had her arms around Demitri as the both of them were sitting/laying on the floor of the small shuttlecraft.  
  
"...you never told me what happened on Romulus," Anja said in a voice just barely above a whisper.  
  
"...we have a new enemy, Anja."

* * *

AN: I'm so mean to leave you people in suspense. Review and I'll update. Bye. 


	4. Chapter four

Disclaimer: Again, I don't own Star Trek. No matter how much I wish I did, I don't.  
  
AN: Thank you for your reviews. As I said, this is my first story, and any comments, both good and bad, are appreciated. I hope you enjoy the new chapter.

* * *

Chapter four  
  
After Picard had told his officers what Guinan had told him, no one dared talk for the longest time. It was all too shocking. An object that prevents people from dying. Immortal. How is this possible? All sorts of thoughts ran threw their heads as their minds tried to process this information.  
  
"...I'd love to know how that's possible..." Beverly thought out loud.  
  
Picard raised an eyebrow. "How what's possible?"  
  
"Immortality," she replied. Beverly looked around at everyone at the table. "Think about it. Even with all of our medical advances, we still haven't been able to stop people from dying. This...this...Orb could be the key that we need to unlock the greatest scientific discovery in the history of mankind!"  
  
"That is, IF they give us a piece of the crystal," Deana said. "But, from what I can tell, I highly doubt it."  
  
"Couldn't we just ask them for one piece," Beverly asked. "Just to borrow it for a while?"  
  
"Right now our main concern is what to do with them," Picard said. He looked around at everyone, silently asking for suggestions.  
  
"...how about just going up and knocking on their door?" a slightly sarcastic Riker said.

* * *

"You know what, Anja?"  
  
"What, Demitri?"  
  
"If you're planning a vacation, don't go to Romulus."  
  
"That bad, huh?"  
  
"Oh yeah. Worst food I've ever had."  
  
A smile spread across both of the immortals faces, and pretty soon their ship was filled with laughter.  
  
After a while, the laughter died down, and once again, the ship was completely silent. The only thing that could be heard was the heavy breathing of both passengers as they caught their breaths.  
  
Anja, getting very uncomfortable from the silence, quietly said, "We haven't laughed like that in a long time."  
  
Demitri shifted his weight. "Yeah, well, one hundred and fifty years of separation tends to do that." His face grew serious as he turned his head to look at the ceiling. "Why did we leave each other anyway?"  
  
"You don't remember?"  
  
"Not really."  
  
Anja turned her head away from him and looked at the floor. "...you got mad at me because I didn't like killing and I wouldn't let you kill people." Her face saddened. "And you just left."  
  
Demitri, wanting to say something, could only look at Anja. He could give no explanation as to why he left that would make up for the years lost. No explanation as to why he hurt her when he left and never looked back. There was nothing he could do, except beg for her forgiveness that he didn't deserve.  
  
Mustering up what little strength that was left in him, he said, "I never knew how much I hurt you. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."  
  
Suddenly, an agonizing pain swept over Demitri's body. "AHHHGH!"  
  
"DEMITRI!" Anja rushed over to him. Having no medical supplies that could help with his pain, she could only watch and try to comfort Demitri as he struggled to make the pain go away.  
  
Many torturous minutes passed before the pain slowly left. Demitri's body was left limp from fatigue. Anja had a glass of water replicated, and she brought it over to Demitri. Carefully holding him in her arms, Anja made him drink the refreshing liquid. Some of it spilled out of his mouth and onto his tattered shirt. He quickly finished drinking.  
  
Demitri, still being cradled in Anja's arms, asked, "Even...after all that I had...done to you...you still...lo...love...me?"  
  
She answered, "No matter what happens between us, I will always love you."  
  
A faint knock, knock, knock, was heard by both immortals. Anja gently laid Demitri down.  
  
"Don't worry. I won't teleport this time."

* * *

Data backed away from the ship. He looked questioningly at Jean-Luc.  
  
"Don't worry Data. I think they heard you."  
  
"Sir, I thought that you were joking when you agreed to my idea," a bewildered Riker said.  
  
A loud grinding of metal was heard as the doors on the small ship began to open. Picard, Riker, Data, Beverly, Worf, Geordi, and Deana gritted their teeth.  
  
Once the doors were open, the small group was once again confronted by the immortal, Anja.  
  
She quickly looked around at the group, and upon noticing the doctor, she hurried over to them. The officers stiffened, but no hostile movements were made as the girl advanced towards them.  
  
"Doctor, I need your help!" she pleaded. "Come with me." Anja grabbed one of Beverly's hands and lead/dragged her towards the ship.  
  
Both Data's and Worf's hands shot out and grabbed the girl. Will and Geordi brought out their phasers.  
  
Anja, confused as to why they were stopping her, looked over at Picard. "Please, you've got to help me! It's Demitri! Something's wrong with him!"  
  
Picard and Beverly looked at each other, and a nod from his head sent the good doctor on her way. She quickly entered the ship and found Demitri lying on the floor. Bringing out her tricorder she knelt down and started to scan him.  
  
After a few seconds of scanning, she hit her commbadge. "Crusher to Sickbay. Two to beam up."

* * *

AN: Yay, I got another chapter in! Dramatic, no? Tell me what you think! 


	5. Chapter five

Disclaimer: Ok, how many times do I have to say it? I DON'T OWN STAR TREK! There. Done.  
  
AN: I want to give a special thank you to Lenorathetrekkie for helping me with all of the technical, scientific stuff. Enjoy the next chapter.

* * *

SWOOSH! The doors in Ten-forward opened. The small crowd of beings, who were only seconds earlier engaged in deep conversations, turned to see the lone figure of Anja standing in the doorway. All went silent as the passengers of the huge ship continued to stare at the intruder.  
  
Although small in stature, she gave off an air of authority as she glared at everyone. Her green coat swooshed as she crossed her arms in annoyance. Shifting her weight slightly, everyone saw a glimpse of something shiny on her belt.  
  
"...what are you looking at?" Anja said in a voice that chilled the air around her.  
  
Sensing the danger, the passengers turned away from her. All except for Guinan. She waved Anja over to her.  
  
Anja shoved her hands into one of her many pockets in her long coat and slowly walked over to Guinan. As she walked, she kept looking at the other inhabitants of the room, always wary, ready for anything. Reaching the bar, she plopped herself down unladylike and rested her arms on the counter.  
  
"Hello Anja," Guinan said in her soft, warm voice.  
  
"Hey Guinan."  
  
"Your usual?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"All right. One chocolate milkshake coming up."  
  
Guinan walked over to the replicator and had the milkshake replicated in seconds. She handed the glass with the cool, chocolaty ice cream over to Anja. The smaller immortal picked up a spoon and started to eat.  
  
"So the captain let you out of your cell?" Guinan questioned.  
  
Anja swallowed the chocolate in her mouth. "Wellllllll...not exactly. I sort of had to...persuade him." She drew out her dagger from her belt and ran her fingers along the sharp metal.  
  
"Where did you get that?"  
  
"Q."  
  
"The Q Continuum gave you a dagger? Don't you remember anything that I told you about them? They're not to be trusted."  
  
Anja re-sheathed her blade. "They seemed nice to me."  
  
"What did they tell you?"  
  
"Something about how amusing Demitri and I were to them. They said they were having so much fun watching us, that they gave us some of their powers."  
  
Guinan raised an eyebrow.  
  
"It's true. I've got power over sun, stars, and moon. Demitri has earth, wind, and water."  
  
Guinan nodded her head.  
  
A thump was heard by the immortals, and both turned their heads to see who it was who just sat down. The man's skin was pure white, and his yellow eyes held no emotion whatsoever. It was none other than Data.  
  
"Hello Data," Guinan said.  
  
"Hello Guinan," Data replied. He looked over at Anja. "Has the captain given you permission to leave you cell?"  
  
"Yeah, something like that," Anja said. "Hey Data, have you heard anything about Demitri?"

* * *

Jean-Luc Picard walked into Sickbay, and was immediately swarmed with nurses telling him to leave. They started to shove him out of the door when Beverly's voice rang out, "Leave the Captain alone. I asked him to come here."  
  
The nurses backed off, and the captain stepped over to Beverly. She motioned for him to follow her, and she led him over to a panel displaying a DNA sequence.  
  
"Look at this," instructed Beverly.  
  
Picard looked at the screen for a long time, trying to see what Beverly saw in the sequence. But, try as he might, he couldn't see anything different. He looked over at Beverly.  
  
A little annoyed that Picard couldn't see it, she started to explain. "Look here, at the end of the sequence. Do you see all of that junk DNA?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Well, in normal humans, whenever DNA is replicated, a small part of DNA is lost in the process. Now, most of the DNA lost is junk DNA. Junk DNA is just obsolete sequences of DNA that were rendered useless after we finished evolving into what we are today. Once all of the junk DNA is used up, we start to loose actual DNA that we need to survive, hence why we age and die."  
  
"I know that Doctor, what are you trying to get at?"  
  
She looked over at the unconscious Demitri lying on one of the beds in the room. "The reason he doesn't age is because he never looses any junk DNA."  
  
"What do you mean?" Picard questioned.  
  
"This man's DNA replicates itself perfectly. No DNA is lost during the replication, and if no DNA is lost, then that means that he can live forever."  
  
Both humans continued to stare at the recovering immortal.  
  
"...can they be killed?" Picard asked after a while.  
  
"Yes. I had a hard time just trying to stabilize his condition. They may be immortal, but they still are human."

* * *

"Do you have that machine fixed yet?" a gruff voice asked.  
  
"Yes Natal."  
  
"Good," the Romulan commander known as Natal said. "Now I can finally track them down."

* * *

AN: Who is Natal? What is up with that machine? Why am I leaving you people with cliffhangers? All will be revealed in due time. Please review. 


	6. Chapter six

Disclaimer: Not mine, never was.  
  
AN: Wow. I got another chapter done. Hope you enjoy it.  
  
Lenorathetrekkie: Yes, I believe that Guinan is immortal. And I am sorry about not updating before I left for vacation. Oops on me.

* * *

Demitri...  
  
Demitri...  
  
"Demitri!"  
  
"AH!" Demitri yelled. He opened his eyes, only to shut them again for the light in the room was too bright. He tried to lift his hands to shield his eyes, but he couldn't move them. Struggling, he kept pushing against the force field that held him back. Wham, wham, over and over Demitri hit his invisible bonds, but all of his efforts were in vain: he was stuck.  
  
Slowly, Demitri opened his eyes again.  
  
"Hey there sleepy head," a soft, warm voice greeted him. As his eyes focused, he saw the face of Anja staring back at him. The scar on her cheek glinted in the light, and her big emerald eyes conveyed the happiness that she felt for Demitri still being alive.  
  
"Hey," Demitri said in a weak voice. "Uh, why can't I move?"  
  
"Force field."  
  
He grunted. "That figures. That gay captain thinks I'm going to try and take over his little ship."  
  
"Well, this little ship just saved your life," a new voice chimed in.  
  
Demitri turned his head to see where the voice came from and found our favorite captain and crew glaring at him. Riker, Geordi, and Worf looked like they wanted to tear his head off. Crusher and Deana looked annoyed, Data had his eyebrows raised in surprise, and Picard had a very small frown on his face.  
  
A huge smirk appeared on Demitri's face.  
  
"Demitri, you asshole!" Anja chastised. "These good people just saved your life and all you do in thanks is insult them!?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
A very loud and annoyed groan escaped Anja's lips. "The least you could do is tell them what happened on Romulus."  
  
Slightly offended, Demitri said, "Why should I tell them? Can't you do it for me?"  
  
"It's your story. You tell them."  
  
Demitri looked over again at the officers of the starship Enterprise. Returning his gaze back to Anja, he said, "Give me one good reason as to why I should tell them?"  
  
Picard, getting very annoyed at the restrained immortal, said, "Because, if you don't, I will have you arrested and will turn you over to the Romulans."  
  
Although not frightened by the captain's threat, the thought of going back to Romulus sent shivers up Demitri's back.  
  
"Fine Captain. What do you want to know?"  
  
"What were you doing on Romulus?"  
  
Demitri opened his mouth to reply, but quickly shut it again. Taking a deep breath, he said, "You let me out of here, and I'll tell you everything."  
  
Picard looked over at his officers. They pulled out their phasers.  
  
Walking over to a control panel, he deactivated the force field.  
  
Demitri slowly sat up and stretched. He then began to crack various parts of his body, very loudly. CRACK! Neck, spine, fingers, arms, legs. After he was done, he hopped off of the table.  
  
Picard, fed up with the wasted time, crossed his arms in annoyance.  
  
Demitri looked over at him. "Oh yeah. Romulus. Right." Clearing his throat, he began his tale:  
  
"After wandering around the Galaxy for a few years, I suddenly felt the presence of a few of the shards of The Orb." He paused. "You do know what The Orb is, right?"  
  
The officers nodded their heads.  
  
"Allrighty. Anyway, I soon found out that the shards were on Romulus. Now, my first idea was to go in there, kill everyone, and take the shards. Make lots of big explosions. Then I thought, that's way too easy. So, I came up with a new plan: I'd infiltrate the base holding my shards, steal them, and then blow up the place. So I landed on Romulus, stole some moron's clothes, and eventually made my way to the base."  
  
He took another breath. "Now, here's where it gets interesting. Once I got inside, I over heard some commander talking about this machine that can find the rest of the shards. Natal, I think that was his name. Anyway, he was boasting to his superior about the shards and their 'special' power. You have no idea how annoying that got. So, I waited until they left, snuck into their office, and grabbed all of the files concerning the machine. I then made my way to the machine (which, by the way, wasn't a very easy thing to do), and blew it up."  
  
He took another pause. "Are you getting all of this?"  
  
Again the officers nodded their heads.  
  
"Good. Now, the Romulans weren't very happy that I blew up their little toy, understandably so. So, they somehow tracked me down as I was leaving orbit, and they destroyed my ship. I survived-"  
  
"-Thanks to me," Anja said. "You called me earlier and said to pick you up at the edge of the neutral zone."  
  
"Yep. And that's the end of my story."

* * *

"Sir, we have found the location of your shards," a nervous Romulan officer reported.  
  
"Good," the deep voice of Natal answered. "Where are they?"  
  
The officer gulped. "They, um, they're aboard the Enterprise, sir."  
  
Natal closed his eyes in thought. "...keep the ship cloaked and follow the Enterprise."  
  
"Yes sir." Turning around, the officer stiffly walked out.  
  
"...well, my friend, it seems that the game is up."

* * *

AN: Well, what did you think. Please review. 


	7. Chapter seven

Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN STAR TREK!  
  
AN: I've been having writers block for this chapter for a while, so it amazes me that was able to get it done at all. Thank you again to my reviewers, you have no idea how much it means to me to know that someone, somewhere, likes my story. pauses to think Man, thank sounded sappy. shrugs Oh well. ON WITH THE SHOW!

* * *

"Do you honestly believe what he said?" a worried Riker asked all of the officers at the emergency conference (AN: these people hold too many conferences, don't you think?).  
  
"I sensed that he was telling the truth," Deana informed everyone.  
  
"Even so," Picard said, "unless we get new information on this matter, we have no choice but to accept his word."  
  
A low growl was heard from everyone's favorite Klingon, Worf. "If he is indeed telling the truth, then what is going to stop him from destroying the ship?!" He pounded his fists on the table when he finished, clearly displaying his frustration to everyone.  
  
Beverly, in her soft, calm voice, said, "I found no evidence of these so-called 'powers.' The only thing that I found was the science behind their immortality.  
  
"What about the girl?" Riker questioned. "We all saw her powers. They are real. What do you have to say about that, Doctor?"  
  
Beverly looked everyone in the eyes. "I haven't had the chance to examine her yet."  
  
"I think," Picard started, "that we have a more important problem than these two...people."  
  
"What do you mean, sir?" Data questioned.  
  
"The Romulan, Natal."  
  
"Hmmm...." Geordi was deep in thought. "Knowing the Romulans, they're probably out searching for Demitri."  
  
"Exactly what I was thinking," Picard said. "Geordi, I want a long range scan of the area. Search for the residual effects of cloaking devices. Data, I want all of the information about Natal that you can find. Worf, post security around our two guests. I don't want them walking about this ship unsupervised. Deana, Will, I want you to find out everything about our guests." He paused, looking at everyone at the table, making sure they knew what to do.  
  
"Dismissed."

* * *

The lights were low, candles were lit, and a dinner for two was set on the small table in one of the guest's quarters of the infamous ship. There were flowers, endless flowers, scattered across the room. The petals made no noise when the two occupants crossed the room and sat down. Some orchestral music was playing in the background (Moonlight Sonata) as Anja and Demitri enjoyed their dinner. Calamari, lobster, fresh rolls, shrimp, and wine (straight from Picard's vineyard) made up the meal (AN: see bottom for note). Just outside of the closed door, six guards were posted.  
  
Clink.  
  
The immortals toasted, took a sip of the wine, and put their glasses down.  
  
"I thought you hated romantic dinners?" Anja asked.  
  
Demitri chuckled. "Most of the time."  
  
They both took more bites of their food. Several minutes passed as they continued to finish their meal, each only thinking of the other. Living in the moment, not caring about what could happen; the two immortals quickly finished their "fishy" meal and headed towards the couch.  
  
Anja got to the couch first, and lay down so that she was taking up all of the room.  
  
"My couch," she said.  
  
Demitri shook his head. "My couch."  
  
He bent down and slowly picked her up off of the couch. Taking a few steps, he then carefully set her onto the petal-covered floor. As soon as he let go, he bolted for the couch and lay on like Anja did.  
  
"My couch."  
  
Anja got up off of the floor, and retrieved a blanked from the bed and a pillow (not those hard pillows like the captain uses) She walked up to Demitri, and started hitting him with the pillow. Whap. Whap. Whap. Whap.  
  
Demitri grabbed the pillow away from her, and threw it at the other side of the room. Taking hold of one of her arms, he pulled her close, and they kissed each other.  
  
After the kiss, Anja carefully placed herself onto the couch, and pulled the cover over them both. Demitri held her close to him, not wanting to loose her. They both started to feel sleepy, and when the music died down, the only thing that could be heard was the steady breathing of the two immortals.

* * *

"Sir, everything is ready, and the Enterprise's shields are still down."  
  
"Perfect," the low voice of Natal said. And evil smile spread across his face, and his dark eyes glinted in the dim light of his quarters.  
  
"Prepare to attack. I will join you shortly."

* * *

AN: For the record, calamari is REALLY good (although my brother doesn't think so, but I'm not asking him), and although the dinner may not be that romantic, it does sound pretty good. I'll give an invisible dollar to everyone who tells me what calamari is (and for the record, I do know, I just want to see if you do). Hehe.  
  
This is kind of short, but I'll make it up in the next chapter. I'll give a piece of cheese cake to anyone (but my twin) who can correctly guess what will happen. Please review and tell me what you think. 


	8. Chapter eight

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek. Never have, never will  
  
AN: Sorry that it's been taking me so long to update. Don't you hate it when you have to go to school and actually learn something?  
  
Calamari is squid. Fried squid and it is very tasty.  
  
And yes, I made this chapter fairly easy to guess on purpose. Don't ask me why. Even so, this chapter is definitely not what you would expect, and I bet that you're going to love it. Happy reading.

* * *

Clomp. Clomp. Clomp.  
  
Natal walked heavily through the corridors of his ship, the Machta. This ship was his only pride and joy, for his was the grandest of all of the Romulan fleet. It easily matched the size of the Enterprise, and could easily out-gun the Enterprise if all of its weapons were in use. Inside its bowels it held 50 one-man crafts, each one of them carrying an impressive arsenal of weapons.  
  
He continued his fast-paced walking, passing his numerous crewmen and the few civilians he allowed onboard his war-ship. Everyone onboard quickly moved to the side of the hallway, making room for Natal to pass. It was common knowledge of what could happen if this simple courtesy was not obliged, for the Captains rage was dangerous if invoked.  
  
But right know he held a rare smirk on his face as he walked, adrenalin running through his veins in anticipation of his greatest victory yet.  
  
"Natal," the smooth voice of one of the civilians called.  
  
He jerked to a stop, and slowly turned to face the person who dared to stop him. What he saw would have made most men's jaws to drop: dressed in very revealing clothing, Natal's personal "entertainer" slowly moved towards him.  
  
Over the years, Natal observed that the quality of work dropped if his men weren't...entertained. Since the addition of the civilians, work quality and ethic has gone up over 50%.  
  
The smirk that had been on his face only moments before was replaced with a scowl of hatred. "What do you want, woman?" He drawled his words out, almost spitting at her in the process.  
  
She gave no verbal answer, but the emotions written on her face told Natal what she wanted. She shifted her body into a seductive pose, waiting for his answer.  
  
He clenched his teeth and growled. 'How stupid these women are. All wanting the same thing.' He closed his eyes, in an effort to keep his temper down.  
  
"Go back to my room and stay there until I return."  
  
She murmured a small 'yes sir' and started to make her way towards his quarters.  
  
Natal abruptly turned back around and began again to head towards his destination: The War room. In less than no time he arrived at the guarded door that gave entrance into the war room. The guards quickly moved out of his way as Natal continued to walk forward. The doors swooshed open, and immediately all chatter stopped.  
  
150 of Natal's best men stood at attention as he walked into the room. He looked at everyone, testing them for any sign of weakness. In every face he observed, he saw determination and anticipation. No one doubted their orders, and each of them were willing to fight to the death for their captain.  
  
Natal turned his attention to one group of Romulans, and nodded his head.  
  
They turned around and headed towards the transport pads, each grabbing various guns on the way. When they were ready to be beamed up, Natal tossed the leader a sac that was lying on a table. The Romulan opened the sac and removed four metal head-bands.  
  
"Put those around their heads as soon as you see them," Natal ordered. "Then continue on with the mission. You know what to do."  
  
"Yes sir!" the commander replied.  
  
Natal turned towards the rest of the men. "YOU! Into the shuttlecrafts! Prepare to launch!"  
  
"YES SIR!"

* * *

Picard was sitting at his desk, drinking his favorite cup of tea. Each sip of the liquid sent soothing warmth throughout his entire body. He closed his eyes, enjoying the peace and quite of his office (and his tea).  
  
Letting his thoughts drift, he caught himself thinking again about the immortals, Anja and Demitri. How young they seemed, so innocent. It was hard for anyone to believe that they had lived over thousands of years. Not even Vulcans lived that long. 'But what am I suppose to do with them?' he thought.  
  
"INTRUDER ALERT! INTRUDER ALERT!"  
  
Picard jerked forward, completely shaken by the alarm. He quickly stood up and started to head towards the bridge.  
  
KABAM!  
  
An explosion rocked the ship so hard that Picard fell and hit his head on the floor with a loud WHAP! He lay there a few seconds, waiting for the pain to subside in his head. Groaning, he slowly lifted himself up off of the floor and walked/stumbled onto the bridge.  
  
Looking around, he saw that everyone on the bridge had also fallen hard, for everyone was groggily returning to their stations. Most had their hands against their head in pain.  
  
"Damage report," Picard sternly ordered, having already shaken off his wooziness from the fall.  
  
Worf looked at his panel. "Deflector dish destroyed! The Romulan war ship took it out with their first hit!"  
  
The intruder alarm continued to blare in the background. "Worf! Will! Dispatch security teams! I want the intruders captured now!"  
  
The officers quickly turned and headed towards the turbo-lift. The began to call security before the doors closed.  
  
"TARGET PHASERS! EVASIVE ACTION!"

* * *

All was quiet in the flower-covered guest room as the two immortals continued to sleep. Neither heard the group on Romulans beaming into their room.  
  
The commander of the group waved a hand forward, and two men holding the metal headbands quietly walked up to the immortals. Holding the headbands in both hands, they slowly began to bring them down towards Anja and Demitri's heads. Five inched left. Three inches. Two inches...  
  
"INTRUDER ALERT! INTRUDER ALERT!"  
  
Time seemed to be frozen when the immortals opened their eyes. Fear, confusion, and hatred were etched onto their faces when they realized what was going on. "What the fuck..."  
  
The Romulans were the first to snap out of the trance, and they quickly shoved the cold metal headbands onto Anja and Demitri's heads. Their bodies gave one giant compulsive jerk, and they were soon unconscious. Lights of all colors flickered on and off on the headbands as the rest of the Romulans gathered around the bodies.  
  
The commander tapped his com badge.  
  
"Phase one complete. Begin phase two..."

* * *

"Sir, we're loosing hull integrity on decks three and five!"  
  
"Evacuate those levels, emergency forcefields!" Picard ordered. Another explosion rocked the ship. "Target photon torpedoes, fire!"  
  
Data quickly lunched the torpedo. All eyes were on the screen as it rocketed towards the huge Romulan ship. But the bright blue light of the torpedo was soon put out as it his the ship's shields.  
  
"...minimal damage to shields," Wesley reported. His panal began to beep "...Sir, they're launching shuttlecrafts!"  
  
Looking like miniature war birds, the shuttlecrafts zoomed out of the Machta and headed straight for the Enterprise. They broke formation and began circling the ship like buzzards waiting for an animal to die. Left, right, up, down. The Enterprise turned right, trying to get rid of the small crafts, but they could not loose them. They continued to turn in vain attempts to get free.  
  
"Sir!" Geordi said. "Intruders in the cargobay!"  
  
Before Picard could answer, a violent explosion ricked the ship, and again everyone was thrown on the floor. Panels exploded, lights flickered on and off as the crew regained their composure. The ship came to a complete stop.  
  
"Engines off-line," Geordi reported.  
  
Picard, getting furious that his precious ship was dead in the water, sternly ordered, "Fire everything we have at that ship!" He pointed to the Machta.  
  
A huge colorful display of orange phasers and blue torpedoes lit up the battle sceen. But, before they had a chance to reach their target, one of the shuttlecrafts intercepted most of the firepower and was sent flying, getting heavily damaged in the process.  
  
The remaining shuttlecrafts, having their prey right where they wanted them, suddenly turned around and headed back towards the Machta. Silence engulfed the bridge. They left. Why'd they leave? What's going on here? Questions upon questions ran threw the crew's minds.  
  
Beep. Beep.  
  
"...Sir? We are being hailed."  
  
"......on screen"  
  
The screen lit up, and a very smug Romulan was shown. He licked his lips. "Captain Pi-card," he said, drawling the out the captains name. "I am Captain Natal of the Romuland war ship Machta." He said it as if that one fact was the most important thing in the whole galaxy.  
  
"What do you want, Natal?" Picard almost growled.  
  
Natal smiled. "My dear Captain. I already have what I want. I just wanted to...thank you for aiding me in my search." The screen went blank.  
  
The Machta then started to move towards the Enterprise. Its path remained straight, and the intention of what Natal planed to do hit Picard like a ton of bricks.  
  
"Brace for impact!"  
  
AN: DUN DUN DUN! I am SOOOOO mean. Leaving you people in suspense like this. I'll only update if I get reviews. So please review! 


	9. Chapter nine

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek.

* * *

"Brace for impact!"  
  
Everyone on the bridge gripped something in a vain attempt to cushion the imminent attack. No one uttered a noise as the Machta continued towards them, not even a surprised yelp. Every eye, widened like a deer's when caught in headlights, was glued onto the screen.  
  
Closer...  
  
Closer...  
  
Time seemed to be frozen. No one moved. The only sound that could be heard was the slow and steady heartbeat of the collective crew, waiting for their deaths.  
  
Closer...  
  
Closer...  
  
AND THEN!  
  
...gone.  
  
No explosion, no impact.  
  
Absolutely nothing.  
  
The stunned crew could only stare at the blank space that the Machta had once taken up before it disappeared. The Romulans had been known throughout the universe for their cloaking abilities, but even so, this took the cake. They were too close to be able to avoid the collision, and yet they didn't hit the prized Enterprise. It was almost as if the whole ship had turned into a ghost...  
  
Picard, on impulse, murmured, "...report."  
  
Only one person on the bridge answered his call. The clear, steady voice of Data calmly announced, "...no residual effects. Scanners cannot pick up the Machta's trail." Data turned around. "Sir? There is a downed shuttlecraft, heavily damaged."  
  
Blinking a couple of times, Picard replied, "Tractor beam. Bring it into the shuttle bay."  
  
"Yes sir." Data's hands began working at their amazingly fast tempo as he began to bring the downed ship into the cargo bay.  
  
Picard looked around at his crew. All had some type of would, from blows to the head to cuts on their arms. Scattered panels across the room were blown out, and continued to emit sparks. The emergency light was on, casting an odd glow on everyone, making them seem as if they were shells of their former selves.  
  
He didn't even bother asking about the extent of the damage.  
  
The captain looked at each one of his officers. He never spoke, but his message got across to them all: You know what to do.  
  
Turning, he slowly walked back towards his office. He barely noticed the orders that his officers were giving.  
  
The doors closed with a silent swoosh.

* * *

When Demitri awoke, the first thing he noticed was the sharp pain in his head. It was as if a huge needle was sticking out of his forehead. He opened his eyes, only to find thins extremely blurry. He blinked furiously, trying to clear his vision.  
  
"Ah, you're finally awake."  
  
Demitri froze. I know that voice...  
  
He tried to grab onto the bodiless voice, but found that he couldn't move. He began jerking his arms and legs, trying to get free. His vision clearing, he stopped. He was trapped.  
  
A cold and sinister laugh was heard. It made the hairs on the back of Demitri's neck stand up.  
  
"Don't even bother trying to escape," the voice said. "I know all of your tricks, and this time I'm prepared for them."  
  
Demitri grounded his teeth. "Natalllllll..." he growled.  
  
Walking up to Demitri, Natal made an odd clicking noise with his tongue. "Tut tut Demitri. Where are you manners?"  
  
Demitri snorted. "Fuck you Natal."  
  
"Now now Demitri, watch what you're saying. You don't want anything to happen to her, now do you?" He pointed to Demitri's left.  
  
Demitri turned his head and yelled out in outrage at what he saw.  
  
Anja was lying on a tilted table, her hands and feet locked in place by metal bands, with a glowing headband around her head. There were many life support systems monitoring her, each one giving off an odd beep now and then. She was unconscious.  
  
"You monster, what have you done with her!" Demitri yelled.  
  
"I? I have done nothing." He paused. "Yet."  
  
If looks could kill, Natal would have died a thousands times by now. The muscles on Demtiri's jaw tightened.  
  
"Oh don't worry. I won't kill you two yet." Natal said as he walked towards a table containing several strange devices. He swooped down and picked up one of the smaller ones.  
  
"I've got bigger plans for you two."  
  
He pushed a button on the device, and all throughout the ship, everyone heard Demitri scream's of pain.  
  
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"

* * *

Picard called his officers to him after they had set the groundwork for rebuilding the Enterprise. They came quickly, and sat down at the same table they always held their meetings at.  
  
"Report."  
  
Geordi took a deep breath. "The engines are almost completely destroyed. It'll take me at least a few days working 'round the clock just to get things up and running again."  
  
Picard closed his eyes and nodded.  
  
"Captian?" The soft voice of Diana asked. "Anja and Demiri have been kidnapped."  
  
Again Picard nodded.  
  
After a few minutes time, he opened his eyes. "Geordi, I want you to repair the Romulan shuttlecraft."  
  
He looked at everyone.  
  
"We are going to rescue them and destroy that ship."

* * *

AN: Sorry for not updating for a while. Complications at home and writers block are not good for writing a story. I AN NOT GIVING UP ON THIS STORY! So please, just push that little button at the bottom and leave me a review. I don't even care if it's a flamer, I just want people to review.  
  
Go read Lenorathetrekkie's story as well.  
  
Thank you.


	10. Chapter ten

Disclaimer: For the millionth time, I DON'T OWN STAR TREK!  
  
AN: Well, it seems that my imagination has started working again. ON WITH THE SHOW!

* * *

Lowering his torture device, Natal continued to observe his captives with great interest. The male, Demitri, was unconscious, and the female, Anja, was just starting to wake up. The smell of burnt flesh still lingered in the air. Natal licked his lips.  
  
This was a good day.  
  
He walked a little closer to the small female. She opened her mouth, and a small moan was heard. Her head lulled to one side, as her eyes began to open. They continued to get bigger and bigger as she surveyed her surroundings. Her emerald eyes conveyed the fear that she felt.  
  
It was those eyes that fascinated Natal more than anything else about Anja. More so than the fact that she was immortal.  
  
Fully awake, Anja continued to stare at Natal.  
  
He smiled, baring his sharp, white teeth. "Good morning Anja."  
  
She cringed. Her eyes wandered over to Demitri's unconscious body. Not thinking, she yelled, "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM!"  
  
SMACK!  
  
His hand left a giant red mark on the side of her face. Natal's lip was curled in fury, his hands trembling in suppressed rage. His breathing came sharp and fast as he tried to remain calm.  
  
"How dare you speak to me like that. If you want him to live, I suggest you hold your tongue."  
  
Trembling, Anja could only look in terror at the Romulan. His muscular body was taut with rage, and she knew that she was going to die by his hands alone. Her bright green eyes became moist with tears, tears that she would not let herself release. Anja closed her eyes, wishing everything would go away.  
  
"Oh don't worry," Natal droned. "Your time WILL come." He leaned in closer to Anja, so close that their noses almost touched. His breath was foul, and his black eyes sparkled in the dim light. Anja (still strapped to the table) could only look up at him and await his next move.  
  
He took a deep breath, and his head was filled with the smell of the immortals fear. Natal almost sighed in pleasure. Almost.  
  
"Now it is time for the games to begin."  
  
He licked his lips, and drew one of his large fingers across the scar on her cheek. Anja was trembling. His finger lingered at the base of her chin, drawing her head slightly upwards. Natal grinned.  
  
This was a very good day.

* * *

"Captain, I must ask you to reconsider your decision!" Diana, although normally calm and collected, had become anything but calm. Her face had become flushed, and her normally woven hair was all frizzled in her frustration.  
  
Picard just looked at her. His face was practically set in stone. Had it not been for his ears and eyebrows, he would have passed off as a Vulcan. His hands were frozen over the panel he was working on.  
  
"I am sorry Diana. But my decision is final." Picard returned his gaze back to the panel he was working on.  
  
"But Captain, this is practically a suicide mission!"  
  
Picard said nothing. His hands flew across the panel, filling the room with tiny beeps.  
  
"I'm asking you one last time to reconsider your actions." She pleaded.  
  
Again she received no response.  
  
She looked at her feet. "...revenge isn't the answer."  
  
Beep. Bee-  
  
Stop.  
  
Picard froze. He slowly raised his head so that he was looking into Diana's eyes. Whatever warmth that had once been present in his eyes was gone now. Now there was only hatred. He opened his mouth to speak...  
  
Beep beep!  
  
Not looking away, he hastily pushed the com button. "Yes?"  
  
"Sir? I have completed the autopsy," the steady voice of Dr. Crusher announced. "And Data and Worf are ready to go."  
  
"Thank you doctor. I'll be right down." The steadily balding captain turned his com badge off. All the while he kept eye contact with the small and flustered counselor. He stood up, and straitened his outfit (just like he always does when he stands).  
  
"Dismissed."  
  
He turned and left his office.

* * *

Sickbay was busier than it normally was (for obvious reasons). Many people were lying on beds with third degree burns, and in one case, missing arms. It was an atmosphere of despair, and the grim faces on the nurses didn't help lighten the mood.  
  
The doors swooshed open.  
  
Most were expecting more patients arriving. Chatter seemed to stop when everyone saw it was the captain.  
  
He looked around, displaying no emotions what-so-ever on his face. To him, it was as if there was no one in the room. It was only when Beverly called him over that he snapped out of his trance.  
  
Shaking his head, he walked towards the far end of Sickbay. He was greeted by four Romulans. He studied the two that were sitting up.  
  
Picard smiled.  
  
"Doctor, you outdid yourself again." He turned to the two Romulans lying on the beds. "And what happened to those two?"  
  
"Burns, concussion, suffocation. Life support must have gone out when their ship was hit."  
  
"Yes, well, Geordi should have that problem fixed by now."  
  
"I should hope so," the gruff voice of Worf said. Picard turned. Facing him was not the Klingon Worf, but the newly-transformed Romulan Worf. Sitting next to him was a slightly puzzled Romulan.  
  
Picard almost laughed. "Don't worry about it Data."  
  
Data opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted when Picard's com badge went off.  
  
The captain tapped his com badge. "Picard?"  
  
"Captain?" Geordi answered him. "Repairs are almost complete. We just need to fix life-support and we're done."  
  
"Good work Geordi. Inform me when you're finished. Picard out."

* * *

AN: I am SOOOOO sorry that I haven't updated in a while. What with the fact that I have to look for a job and that I had writers block for a while didn't really help anything. But now I'm back.  
  
Please people, review. As much as I like writing, it really depresses me when people read and don't review. I like to know what you think of my story. Heck, you can flame it if you want, I just want some frickin' feedback.  
  
THANKS!!!!!!! 


	11. Chapter eleven

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek, I just love the shows.

* * *

Space.  
  
Contained within its vast amounts of nothingness are some of the finest ships that any species had ever made.  
  
But right now, the Enterprise wasn't exactly up to par.  
  
Motionless on the one-time battlefield, pieces of her enormous hull were floating around her. Lights continued to flicker on and off as the dedicated crew inside her continued to do their best to get her up and running again.  
  
A huge door rattled open, and out came flying a once-broken Romulan shuttlecraft. As the charred doors of the shuttle bay closed once more, the two occupants of the small craft could only look for a few moments at their broken home before their ship took off.  
  
Stars flew past. It was almost hypnotizing to watch them fly by.  
  
"Initiating the cloaking device," Data announced. His newly- transformed hands flew across the alien control panel. Data showed no signs of confusion at the strange symbols that made up the Romulan language.  
  
Worf, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky. His Romulan brow was furled in thought, and his fists kept clenching and unclenching. "Romulans," he growled.  
  
Data opened his mouth to speak, but quickly decided against it. Although extremely curious as to the reason why Worf was upset, Data didn't really want his arms ripped off at the moment. He closed his mouth, deciding to ask the stubborn Klingon at a later date.  
  
The rest of the trip was engulfed in silence. Both occupants were mentally preparing themselves for the mission that was fast approaching. The ship remained on its automatic course, following the homing signal of the Machta.  
  
The starts continued to fly by.

* * *

The cold steel of the Romulan warbird Machta lay dormant at the moment. The nearest enemy ship was at least a star system away. Their confidence was great, and so they remained uncloaked.  
  
There was much celebration about the ship. Those who were off duty were happily getting drunk on Romulan ale. The smell of freshly spilled alcohol was all over the prized ship. Some even had the indecency of passing out in the hallways that Natal walked.  
  
Natal, normally having anyone that stood in his way shot, didn't seem to mind any of the partying. He too was feeling the joyous air of victory. He had singe handedly defeated the most powerful ship that the Federation had to offer. He was the best. Surely the council members back on Romulus could see that now. Now they had no excuse, they have to promote him to commanding general of the entire Romulan army.  
  
They would be foolish not to.  
  
Natal continued to make his way towards his quarters.  
  
"Sir! Sir!" a very frightened voice called out.  
  
Natal stopped. Turning on his heal, he proceeded to give the insignificant officer one of his most cold-hearted glares.  
  
"What is it, commander?" he growled. His irritation was clearly evident in his voice, and the officer wanted nothing more than to get out of his superiors way and forget anything had ever happened.  
  
Unfortunately, that wasn't much of an option now.  
  
He gulped. "Sir? One of our shuttlecraft is approaching..."  
  
"And you are bothering me with this trifle decision WHY?"  
  
The officer gulped in fright again. His knees were shaking, afraid what the murderous captain might do to him.  
  
Natal snorted. "Bring the ship into the shuttle bay. Or are you so incompetent that you can't even do this task correctly?"  
  
"N-n-no sir!"  
  
"Good. Now, get out of my sight!"

* * *

"Docking sequence activated"  
  
The little rickety shuttlecraft gave a lurch sideways, startling it's two passengers.  
  
Still gripping the armrests of his seat, Worf silently went over his will again, wondering if he left anything out. He took a deep breath. 'WHY did I accept this mission!?'  
  
The shuttlecraft zoomed into one of the huge shuttle bays of the ship, like a fly being caught by frog. As it slowed down to land, it began to vibrate violently. Anything that wasn't bolted down inside was thrown to the floor. A knife, hidden in the ceiling, was shaken loose and fell with a thwap into Data's left arm.  
  
Data looked up at the ceiling, then at his arm. "Interesting."  
  
Reaching over with his right hand, he pulled out the knife.  
  
"Data," Worf asked, "could I have that knife?"  
  
"Certainly," Data replied as he handed the knife over.  
  
Worf continued to examine the knife as Data turned back towards his control panel.  
  
"Docking sequence complete."  
  
The two fake Romulans looked at each other. As one, they both rose from their seats and headed towards the door. Some unfixed, sparking panels were their only light as Data pushed the 'open door' button.  
  
There was a grinding of metal sound as the doors slowly forced their way open. Momentarily blinded by the light in the shuttle bay, they did not see the drunken swagger of the Romulan guard sent to greet them.  
  
"Sooooo.... hik ya back, huh? hik "  
  
Data and Worf gave each other worried glances.  
  
"Um, yeah. We're back," Worf replied slowly.  
  
The guard leaned in closer to them. He smiled, showing his rotten teeth and rancid breath. "Mmmm good...hik party's already started."  
  
Shakily turning around, he beckoned the two new arrivals to follow him. Data and Worf did so.  
  
They walked around the huge ship, observing the drunken antics of the Romulans, and the workings of the ship. There were numerous panels lining the corridors, each one with brightly lit buttons in Romulan. Data's electronic mind was taking in everything, already planning their escape.  
  
They walked for what seemed like miles; until they rounded a corner to find the newest corridor empty, save for two guards stationed by a lone door.  
  
The guard continued to walk on. Data pulled his sleeve in an attempt to get his attention: it worked. The guard pivoted and almost fell down. Regaining his composure, he let out a 'huh?'  
  
"What's behind that door?" Data asked, pointing at the guards.  
  
"Oh, tha? hik Tha's where THEY are." He looked around sneakily. "If ya want, I can get you in there. Ya can knock 'em around if ya want ta"  
  
"Do it," the gruff voice of Worf replied.  
  
The guard nodded and motioned for them to stay where they were.  
  
Standing as tall as he could, the nameless guard walked stiffly over to the stationed guards by the door. The guards eyed the slightly sobered drunk as he approached. They all nodded, acknowledging each others existence.  
  
"Our great captain Natal has ordered me to tell you that your shift here is over," the drunk stating fluently. "You are needed at the shuttle bay to survey repairs."  
  
The two burly guards looked at each other, then back at the drunk. With one final nod, they headed off towards the shuttle bay.  
  
As soon as they had rounded the corner, the drunk signaled to Data and Worf. They hastily went towards the door.  
  
"Here you are, gentlemen."  
  
The doors opened, and all three of them stepped inside.  
  
What greeted them was a scene you would expect from a horror movie. The walls were lined with all sorts of pointy swords and knives, along with other various torture devices (whips, chains, etc). The only light in the room came from the center, where two beams of light were shinning directly on two tables, each holding a body. Both were strapped down, and not moving.  
  
Data pulled out a tricorder, and began to scan the occupants on the tables. There was a few seconds of silence, were only the ringing of the tricorder was heard.  
  
"They're alive, but only just," Data's voice rang out.  
  
The drunken Romulan looked confused. "Wha?"  
  
Not questioning his motives, Worf punched out the guard. He flew backwards and hit the ground hard. He defiantly wasn't getting up for a while.  
  
Data, already beside the immortals, was removing their straps. As he was doing so, he noted the extend of their injuries: some broken bones, several bruises, and possible internal bleeding. If they weren't sent to a doctor quickly, they would die.  
  
Worf, coming up beside Data, noticed the headbands on both immortals.  
  
Pointing at them, he asked, "What are those?"  
  
Pulling out his tricorder again, Data examined the metal headbands.  
  
"Hmmm....it seems that they are designed to block certain brainwaves. As to what purpose, I'm not sure, but it will not harm them if we remove them."  
  
Both officers reached down and removed the headbands from the immortals. As soon as they were removed, both immortals eyelids began to flutter open.  
  
A whoosh sound was heard, and when Data and Worf turned to see where it came from, they were confronted with Natal and some of his men standing in the only exit out of the room.

* * *

AN: I FINALY GOT THIS CHAPTER DONE!!!!!!!!!  
  
Please review, as you guys are the only reason I'm continuing this story at all. THANKS!!!!! 


	12. Chapter twelve

Disclaimer: IT'S NOT MINE!!!!!!!

AN: Ok. Only ONE PERSON reviewed the last chapter. That sucks, but at least some people are still reading my story.

I'm sorry that I haven't updated in a while. Being lazy and lack of inspiration isn't good for stories.

Anyway, I hope this chapter is gets more reviews!

* * *

Time seemed to stand still as the two parties eyed each other. One in confusion, the other in apprehension.

Natal knew that these Romulans weren't his men, for he handpicked all of his crew. That, and the fact that these two were taking his immortal prisoners (who were just starting to wake up). His right hand slowly moved behind him...

Data and Worf, becoming tenser by the minute, both drew their phasers and fired directly at Natal and some of his men.

At the same time Natal drew his weapon and also fired.

Streaks upon streaks of blinding orange light lit up the room, making it seem as if a super nova had just been unleashed inside the ship. Explosions soon followed the light show, but no one seemed to notice the deafening sound.

The two Starfleet officers had dragged themselves and the stirring immortals behind the tables (which had conveniently fallen over during the fighting), while Natal quickly ducked back into the hallway. Some of the unfortunate Romulans caught in the crossfire lay dead at the doorway, as more and more guards stepped over them, trying to gain access into the room.

"We have to escape!" Worf bellowed over the chaos.

Data ducked, and a streak of blinding light flew right where his head had been. "That door is the only way out!"

"Not a problem."

The officers looked at each other, and then looked behind them.

Cradled in each others arms, Anja and Demitri coolly looked back at the fake Romulans. Both had the same set expression on their face: revenge.

Worf had to do a double take, for he could have sworn that both of those kids were glowing...

Again both officers looked back at each other. Thinking the same thing, they nodded in approval.

"Do it," Worf ordered.

* * *

In the hallway, at least a hundred Romulan personnel waited for their turn to try and take back the room.

One of them, having five people in front of him before his go, himself having just reached the age of 20, was scared shitless. His knees were shaking, palms sweaty, and looked like he was about to faint. He held his gun closer to him, hoping to receive some comfort from the cold, emotionless metal.

Heart pounding, he looked in front of him, and immediately jumped back.

The five Romulans in front of him had been unceremoniously thrown to the opposite side of the hallway, all of them dead from broken necks.

Tearing his eyes away from his dead comrades, he focused his sight onto the two beings floating in the hallway. Both of their hands seemed as if they were on fire, but the flesh didn't burn. The flames consumed the rest of their bodies, and even though it hurt his eyes to continue to look at them, he could tell one thing:

They were very pissed.

Natal, having moved back to the end of the hallway to order for reinforcements, didn't notice that the poor young Romulan at the front of the line was reduced to ash by the attack of the extremely aggravated Q-powered humans. Nor did he see two figures leave the same room he was trying to win back and head the opposite way down the hallway.

It was only when he felt extreme heat on one side of his body did he discover that his former prisoners were awake.

"Hello, Natal," Anja said. Her voice was calm, but it did not hide the malice that she felt, nor the rage that pulsed through her body.

"I think it's time for a little chat," Demitri answered in the same tone as Anja's.

Guards swarmed up, trying to rescue their captain, but with a wave of the hand from both immortals, flames as hot as the sun reduced them to nothing. All the while, Natal watched his crew melt in fire, and felt nothing.

"Have you ever heard of the Golden Rule, Natal?" Anja asked.

Natal didn't move. He just stared emotionless at the people whom he thought he had concurred and broken.

Anja, slightly dismayed by the lack of response (but only slightly), continued to talk. "It states, 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.'"

Demitri cracked his neck. "Guess what, Natal?"

Finally showing some emotion, Natal spoke, "...what."

Demitri smiled, and in his eyes shown all of his hatred he felt for the insignificant Romulan that stood before him.

"It's OUR turn to play..."

* * *

The two Starfleet officers, after madly running towards the hanger, finally gained entrance into one of the shuttle craft. The engines revved up, and the small ship lifted off the ground.

Not bothering to open the bay doors, Worf fired the phasers, and immediately the doors blew out into space.

The two-man ship soon followed after the doors.

* * *

The once proud Machta was beginning to collapse, and right in the middle of the ship stood the only remaining survivors.

The immortals, having cremated all of Natal's evil crew, were enjoying the last few minutes the ship had by beating the shit out of the former captain.

Bruised, broken, and bleeding to death, Natal fixed his one good eye on his former captives. No emotion was evident on their faces. Only when a bulkhead collapsed did they move.

Taking her hand, Demitri gave one final glare at Natal, before a light so white it seemed blue engulfed the two humans.

When he looked back, they were gone.

Taking his last breath, he bellowed:

"CURSE YOU BOTH TO HELL!"

Him, and the legacy that was his ship, went up in a super nova of an explosion.

* * *

AN: Again, I am SO SORRY that I haven't updated in FOREVER. If people review, I will try and get something up next weekend.

PLEASE REVIEW!

Thanks.


	13. Chapter 13

The Chaser, chapter 13. All this time I thought it was the cute guy, but NOOO, it's Jeremy, the Scary Guy!

I'm so sorry that I haven't updated in MONTHS!!! School is evil, but now that I have MY OWN COMPUTER (laptop) I should be able to updatea LOT more than I have. This is the last chapter for this particular story, so enjoy!!!

* * *

Repairs to the most infamous ship in Starfleet were going well. It would still be some time before more help would arrive from Starfleet, but under the circumstances things were running very well. Impulse had been restored, and most of the gaping wounds on both the ship and her crew had been repaired.

Picard sat in his office, working on a burnt-out panel. Finally having been able to get rid of the burnt plastic smell, he now focused on rewiring the stupid thing. He wiped the sweat off of his brow, inwardly cursing that engineering hadn't completely fixed the climate control yet. Had Data been here, he would have fixed it already…

But he's not here…for all I know he might be dead…BROKEN. Not dead. Androids don't die. Neither have those kids. I should really stop calling them kids, considering they're WAY older than I am…I wonder if they're ok?

He glanced over to the window. Almost in an afterthought, he wondered what it would be like to be sucked out into space, to wander it's limitless galaxies for all eternity. Picard suppressed the act to sigh. '_This is no time to show weakness. This is DEFINATLY not the time._'

He turned back to his work, only to do a double take back at the window. '_What the fuck?_' Getting up from his desk, Picard walked up to the window and stared out into space. '_I could have sworn I saw 2 people waving at me…nah. I must be seeing things. Maybe I should go see Beverly…_'

He walked back to his desk, sat down, and gave one last glance at the window and almost fell out of his seat.

There, standing on the other side of the window (well, more like floating) were those two kids! AND IN NO SPACESUITS! AND THEY WERE WAVING AT HIM! They had their faces pressed up against window, waiving very energetically, and mouthing a big HI!

Picard stood in his office, completely transfixed by the spectacle that he was witnessing. His mind, which had been wiped of all thought upon first setting his eyes on the elderly teenagers, finally came up with a single thought:

Whoa…

You don't see THAT too often…

Suddenly, there was a flash of light and the two had gone. Milliseconds later, they appeared in Picard's office.

Still disoriented from the shock of seeing them in space, it took him a few seconds to realize that they were speaking to him.

"Blah blah wondering if you would be kind enough to get the shuttlebay doors opened for the angry man and the white one." Demitri paused. "Oh yeah, is sickbay open now?"

"Um…it should be…"

"Good," Anja picked up. "We need some rest."

* * *

Captain's personal log:

It has been three days since the return of Worf, Data, and the two kids. The mission went well, and the strange ship that attacked us has been destroyed. Commander Data had been able to gather invaluable information during the mission, which is still being deciphered by Starfleet.

Demitri and Anja have been resting ever since they got back. It took the good doctor all of her know-how to fix those two up. Had it not been for the fact that they are completely refusing to join Starfleet, those two would make great captains. Their loyalty to each other is amazing.

The aging captain paused.

Had he but one fragment of that crystal, then he too would live forever. His own mortality has always been his greatest fear, and knowing that he is the last of the Picards does nothing but fuel his grief. Truly he understood the Romulan's insatiable need for this wonderful rock.

Understood, but did not share.

"I wonder," he mused out loud, "what all they have seen…"

* * *

"I'm glad to see that you two are in one piece," the soft voice of Guinan mused. "I heard it was quite an adventure."

A frown appeared on Demitri's face. Anja just smiled.

"Yeah, it was quite and adventure," she answered.

"How many more pieces are left?" Demitri questioned.

A sad smile appeared on Guinan's face. "Do not worry. Your quest will soon come to an end."

All three heard the laughter in the background, the clinking of glasses, and could feel the warmth of their happiness drifting over to the trios sad little corner. Yet, despite it all, none felt happy.

"…what will become of us…"

"…I don't know…"

"…I'm afraid…"

"Afraid of what?"

"…afraid to die."

* * *

"Well Captain, I'm sorry that we couldn't stay longer."

"Understandable."

"Sigma Octus IV calls."

Picard nodded his head. He would admit to no one, but he was beginning to like them. Had he any children, he wished that they would be like those two.

"But don't worry," Anja said.

"We'll come back."


End file.
